$150,000
Cutaneous Healing into Porous Biomaterials Impedes Infection
University of Washington
Focus: To test the ability of a percutaneous catheter to resist infection
Percutaneous (skin-penetrating) devices such as vascular and dialysis catheters, glucose monitors, and artificial prostheses are essential for medical care. The use of these critical devices, however, is associated with high risk of infection leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The proposed work is a new approach that uses material into which the skin can heal, thus providing a barrier to microbial attachment and infection. The proposed work will test whether cutaneous integration into biomaterial inserted into the skin will resist bacterial challenge by Staphylococcus aureus, an organism that commonly infects percutaneous devices. The commercialization plan continues a fruitful collaboration with Healionics, a successful start-up biotech company that has licensed the technology from the University of Washington.
Collaborating organizations: Healionics
Grant Update
“Preliminary studies have validated the experimental approach and lay the groundwork for the definitive study.”
